One of the greatest efforts of modern medicine is the control and abatement of cellular proliferative disorders, such as cancers. Considerable research has been conducted searching for new biologically active compounds having useful activity for specific cancers and the organisms which produce these compounds. For example, certain marine soft corals have shown to be a source of biologically active cytotoxins. Also, compounds from sponges have proven effective against lipoxygenase-mediated conditions in humans (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,247 to Crews et al.)
Tunicates have proven to be an important source of bioactive natural products. Among marine natural products that have advanced as cancer treatments the ecteinascidins and didemnins are derived from tunicates, and the eudistomins have potent antiviral activity. As part of an ongoing study of bioactivity among Antarctic marine invertebrates, the inventors had the occasion to study the tunicate Synoicum adareanum. 
S. adareanum is a circumpolar tunicate common in the shallow waters around Anvers island (64° 46′S, 64° 03′W) on the Antarctic Peninsula from 15 to 796 meters depth. S. adareanum colonies consist of large rounded or club-shaped heads with the bottom stalk being wrinkled and leathery and only slightly narrower than the head. S. adareanum colonies can be up to eighteen centimeters high with a diameter of twelve centimeters. S. adareanum colonies may comprise a single head or, up to six heads can arise from a single stalk.